A Century's Worth
by penspunk
Summary: Even the smallest moments between them seemed to stretch, until it felt like a whole year had gone by instead of just seconds. Prompts from 100makorrathemes. Will be working through these sporadically. (Previously korractified.)
1. Embarrassing Moments

**Prompt: **Prompt #71 - Embarrassing Moments from 100makorrathemes on tumblr.

**Word Count: **466

**Disclaimer:** I do not own.

* * *

><p>"Mako, could you just shift a little to the - ouch!"<p>

"Oh, sorry!"

The sounds of shuffling, and then, "Okay, your angle's all wrong."

"Korra, you try handling something this… stiff."

"Well you can't just _shove_ it in there. Have some tact!"

A faint growl of frustration. "I'm _trying_!"

Odd, quiet creaking noises fill the silence for a minute before Korra's hushed voice carries through the closed door.

"You know, maybe we should have used something to help it slide easier?"

A grunt. "I stopped by the shop yesterday for something but they were out."

"Oh." A pause, then, "… I think there might be a bottle of baby oil in Rohan's room?"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"… you think they'll notice if we borrow it?"

"Nah, as long as Tenzin doesn't find out about this, we're- oh! Hold that position, that's perfect!"

"Okay! Okay I'm just going to push it in really… slowly… how is that?"

A hushed reply, "I dunno, it _feels_ good -"

_SLAM!_

The door to Korra's room blows open with a blast of wind as Tenzin marches into the room in a swirl of orange robes and poorly concealed anger.

"_What in spirit's name do you two think you're-"_ He stops short and takes in the scene before him.

Korra and Mako are frozen, both kneeling on the floor holding up either end of a chest drawer that's half fallen out of its cabinet. Fully clothed.

There is a _very_ pregnant pause.

Korra is the first to break the silence, rushing to her feet and wringing her hands. "Tenzin, I swear I was going to tell you if we couldn't fix it, but I was just pulling the drawer out, and - and I know this is an antique that Katara gave you - it's just the hinge that's broken and… Tenzin? You're not mad, are you?"

Tenzin's face is mottled in color, caught between a mix of confusion, anger, and immense relief as he opens his mouth to reply, closes it, then opens it once again to take a sharp breath.

"I… no, it's just I thought…" there is an awkward pause as he shifts his gaze between the two young adults, clears his throat, and straightens his robes from their disheveled state. "It's nothing. Carry on with… that." He gestures vaguely to the drawer and casts a cursory glance around the room before stiffly turning on his heel and marching back out.

Korra and Mako wait until the click of his heels has turned the corner of the hallway before looking at each other.

Mako coughs.

"You realize what he, uh, assumed, right?"

Korra nods. Walks back over to the drawer to help Mako lift it again.

"It's a good thing we weren't…"

Korra nods again.

Then adds with a cheeky grin, "This time, at least."

"_Korra._"

* * *

><p>Review!<p> 


	2. Statue

Prompt # 18: Statue, from 100makorrathemes on tumblr.

Word Count: 524

Summary: Mako has very strong feelings about the Avatar Korra Statue.

* * *

><p>That damned statue in Republic City's park could never compare to the real thing, he thought as he watched her walking toward him for the first time in over three years.<p>

This was an obvious fact, of course. From the first mentions of plans to build a statue in her honor, Mako had been determined to remain detached from the entire process. Let the sculptors and architects deal with the minute details of expression and feature painstakingly chiseled into rock - if Korra had been present to hear any of their conversations, she would have snorted with laughter before shutting down the entire project. "I'm not dead _yet,_" he could practically hear her jesting. "Build a statue for me when I'm good and gone, and I promise I'll appreciate it from somewhere in the Spirit World."

It was just Mako's luck that his daily commute to work had him passing through her park(and for spirit's sake, she'd had run ins with _law enforcement_ there _twice_, were no other parks available to be renamed after her?), where he got an eyeful of all forty feet of her first thing in the morning, before he'd even properly had his first cup of coffee. Her stern expression seemed to follow him as he made his way to the police department, quickening his steps and causing his coat to flap behind him as he marched agitatedly by morning yoga classes assuming the downward facing yakdog and fellow commuters dressed for work.

It had bothered him at first, it really had. This poor excuse of a - a _replacement_ for Korra that the city had erected with great fanfare in order to "boost morale" and "encourage integration of spirits and humans in accordance with the Avatar's wishes" was nothing like the firecracker of a young woman he had come to love. It was so… still. Calm. Composed. And Korra was none of those things. She was energetic, constantly moving, emotionally driven. The sculptors, for all their expertise and effort, could not captured that in the statue.

But the weeks went by, and then the months began to fall away as the warmth gave way to cold winter, and then returned again in bursts of color the next summer. And it was as he was walking home after work one evening to his recently bought one-bedroom apartment that he glanced up to meet her ever present gaze and realized that he'd spent longer with the statue than with the girl.

Sleep came harder that night.

But her eyes were locked on his now, and he couldn't imagine how he'd forgotten that _particular_ shade of blue they were, or what the crinkles under her mouth looked like when she smiled, or the slight sway of her hips.

And when she walked into his arms and held onto him with that old familiar strength, he breathed her in and closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her.

It was as if the years had never passed.

"Hey Mr. Hat Trick. How have you been?" she asked with a shaky grin.

"You have a statue in Republic City. And I fucking hate it."

* * *

><p>Review!<p> 


	3. Envelope

Prompt # 41 - Envelope, from 100makorrathemes

Word Count: 628

Summary: Korra leaves for the South Pole, post book 3 finale.

AN - Thanks for all the favorites, alerts, and especially the reviews! This chapter feels a little sub-par to me (it was absolute hell to write), but let me know what you think!

* * *

><p>Mako knew she needed time to heal.<p>

She had slammed back down to earth with burning eyes and steady strength and poison in her veins, and despite all of his faith in her, not even the Avatar could just rebound from that.

So when she left for the South Pole still confined to a wheelchair and with a tired and empty look in her eyes, he only smiled and wished her a safe trip, raising his hand in farewell. The ship sailed off into the distance and disappeared on the horizon, but he, Bolin, and Asami remained standing on the dock.

"She'll be back before we know it, I'm sure." Asami stated confidently as she wrapped her arms around herself against the brisk ocean breeze. The three friends waited a moment more in somber silence before finally turning away from the bay and returning to their lives.

She definitely was not back before they knew it.

Bolin kept his word. A jauntily written letter, folded neatly and caringly placed in an envelope complete with a colored illustration was mailed off to Korra every morning. Asami sent off a thicker letter once a week between developing construction plans for the city and managing her company. And Mako surprised himself by finally visiting the post office a full two months after Korra had gone (when it became apparent that she would not be returning home soon) to pick up envelopes so he could write her.

There were a few bumps along the way -

"But sir, I do not need a package of_ fifty envelopes._"

"I understand that, young man, but that is the smallest pack we have in stock right now."

"_I will never use them all._" (He did.) -

but Mako finally found himself sitting at his desk after work one night, running his hands through his hair as he wondered what in the world to say to a girl that seemed so much farther away from him in that moment than she had ever been.

Piles of crumpled paper littered his desk and floor for a full two days before he finally settled on a short and concise recount of how his life had been, the weather, the number of triad members the police force had arrested that week, and finishing with the hope that Korra was feeling better and would be returning home soon.

He mailed it off and waited anxiously for a few weeks for her reply, which never came. (He of course knew that she had yet to write back to Bolin _or_ Asami, but he'd thought that… maybe things would be different between them.)

Still, Mako found himself settling into a comfortable rhythm, mailing out a letter every couple of weeks once he had enough monotonous news to fill a few pages. He had no idea whether Korra read them all the way through, but just the act of writing a letter that she would receive, hoping that she would think of him in the midst of whatever kind of life she was leading down there, was cathartic. Korra may not have replied, but Mako was determined to still be a part of her life.

So he wrote. And slowly the pile of envelopes shortened in height until one day, Tenzin returned from his trip to the South Pole with the news that Korra was doing much better, and would hopefully be returning soon.

"She misses you all very much. She reads every letter she gets," Tenzin said to Mako with a kind smile on his face, followed with a quiet,""She just needs a little more time."

Yeah, Mako thought, feeling an old warmth fill his stomach again.

Korra did need time to heal, but in the meantime, Mako would need some more envelopes.


	4. Pickup Lines

Prompt #74 - Pickup Lines from 100makorrathemes on tumblr.

Word Count: 1,770

Author's Note: I had fun with this one! Review and let me know what you think.

* * *

><p>Korra got the idea one morning when Mako passed her her usual steaming cup of oolong tea, brushing his thumb lazily along the back of her hand as he did so, and she realized that the little spark that had always accompanied his touch had disappeared without her noticing.<p>

She hopped up on the kitchen counter and clasped the warm cup between her hands as sunlight flooded in through the window and fell on her lap, before dipping her head down to take a sip as she mulled over the thought.

"Mako?"

He hummed in response from his spot at the stove where he was deftly scrambling eggs while pouring himself coffee, only half dressed for work. His white tank top was haphazardly tucked into his work pants, and his hair was still mussed from bed.

She thought she'd come right out with it.

"Do you ever feel like the romance is dying?"

Mako choked on his coffee and turned from the pan to fully face her, expression a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"I- what-" He sputtered, then ran a tiredly hand over his face as he set his cup down. "Do you have to be so blunt this early in the morning?"

Korra just grinned at him over her tea, and took another sip, shrugging as she picked around her words.

"I just mean, we've known each other for… six years, now? Been living together for two? And, I dunno, there's no _mystery _anymore. We know each other. And we're both working all the time, and I'm gone for… weeks sometimes. You almost died twice last month on the job - nothing new there. Everything just feels so… monotonous lately. Normal. _Boring_. Is that just me?"

Mako stared at her with a deadpan look in his eyes for a moment before shaking his head and turning back to the eggs.

"So you want to… what?" he asked. "Spice up our love life or something? Kama sutra?"

Korra shrugged hesitantly. "I don't know."

Mako was quiet as he scooped the cooked eggs into two bowls, grabbed forks from a drawer, and brought them over to her side of the kitchen. He handed her a bowl as he leaned against the counter and took a bite.

"Well…" he replied slowly, chewing in contemplation as he stared out the window at the sunrise over the bay. "I won't lie, it's been a while since we've done something actually romantic, per se_. _And sometimes it's a pain having to deal with you when you come home from your trips all… _needy_." Korra knocked him playfully on the shoulder when he chuckled.

"I just feel like we… need a little something different every once in a while," she said. "Just to keep the spark alive. Don't you think?"

Mako cocked an eyebrow at her. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, funny you ask that," Korra began with an awkward laugh. "Su was telling me just the other day that she and Bataar sometimes… well, I'm not sure if you'd be up for it, but… roleplaying?" She watched him nervously for his reaction as he looked at her and swallowed his bite. "Not if you think that'd be weird, though!" she hurried to add. "She just said it was a good way to be adventurous, and change things up, but also that it added a creative aspect to the-"

Mako held a hand up to stop her.

"When do we start?"

.

.

.

There was a robbery on Main Street that day. Nothing serious, just another attack by some Triad members looking to terrorize a few shop owners and make off with their goods; the police had arrived on the scene almost immediately and taken control of the situation. They were loading the Triads, handcuffed and more than a little angry, into the back of a police van by the time Korra arrived. She was by no means needed there, but she'd been in the area after a formal event with Earth Kingdom royalty (and was still dressed to the nines), and had thought she'd drop by to make sure everything was fine when she caught sight of Mako. He was standing off to the side of the road interviewing an older man - most likely the shop owner - with his logbook out, pen flying across the paper as he took notes. This was her opportunity.

Korra waited for him to finish, chatting amicably with some other officers until she saw, out of the corner of her eye, Mako give a curt nod of thanks to the owner and flip his notebook shut. Before he had a chance to catch sight of her, she quickly slipped away from the cops and crossed the street, sauntering up behind him as he surveyed the scene.

She stopped a few feet away, hands clasped behind her back and leaning forward on her toes as she cleared her throat, catching his attention.

Mako glanced over passingly, then did a double take, eyes going wide as he recognized her, taking in the form fitting, short, black dress she was wearing and softly curled hair that fell past her shoulders in glossy waves. (If there was one person she trusted enough to go to for these things, it was Asami.)

"Officer," Korra (almost) purred, an impish smile slowly forming on her face when Mako took a second too long to respond.

"Ko- oh." He caught on and cleared his throat awkwardly, eyes still hovering on the dress. "Avatar."

Korra flipped her hair over her shoulder and cocked her hip, nonchalantly looking out over the stretch of road in front of them. "I thought I might be needed, but I see you've taken care of everything here?"

Mako nodded vaguely, glancing up into her eyes which seemed to be larger and more… sultry than usual. And was she wearing blush?

"What a _shame_." Korra stepped closer to him and lifted a hand to run it lightly down his arm.

"…oh?" Mako managed to choke, grip suddenly very tight on his logbook.

"Mhmm," she nodded. "I was hoping I'd get to see you use that… _gun_ of yours," she said, biting her lip and raking her eyes over his city-issued uniform. "You know it should be illegal to be this sexy? I've heard that you-" she broke off suddenly, standing back.

"…. you're laughing!?" Korra watched open-mouthed as Mako bent over and held back a snort of laughter, turning away from her.

"I'm- I'm sorry, it's just- really?" he wheezed. "Cop pick-up lines? Really Korra? Spirits!"

Korra glared and haughtily folded her arms over her chest, turning her nose up. "Excuse me?! Well, you try this then, _Captain_! It's harder than you'd think."

Mako just laughed again, eyes crinkling from his smile, and appraised her as she tapped her foot impatiently on the ground.

"Alright." he coughed out finally just before she stormed off. "Fine. But I'm sure I can do a hell of a lot better than _that_."

.

.

.

He didn't.

Sure, the dark plastic bag he carried home the next day containing his purchase of red, lacy, stringy… material (he wasn't quite sure _how_ it would go on as much as he was sure it would look _good_) had held so much hope for the night when he'd been paying for it. He'd even gone through the trouble of lighting a few candles and making a bath and setting the mood with some quiet music before Korra came home, and carefully placed the new set of lingerie on the bed so she would see it the moment she entered the room.

But sometime between then and now, when Mako and Korra stood staring at their disaster of a bedroom, Naga had managed to get into the house.

Water was flooding onto the floor from the now cracked tub, the carpet was torn in multiple places, the curtains were low key flaming after their encounter with the candles, and in the middle of it all, sitting on the broken bed with her head sagging in embarrassment and strings of red cloth still hanging in tatters from her mouth, was Naga herself.

Korra coughed.

"This… may not be a well known fact. But, uh, sometimes polar bear dogs are similar to bull-yaks in that when they see the color red, they…" she drifted off at the look on his face.

They stood in silence for a long moment.

"Would I have at least looked good in it?"

"So good."

"_Damn._"

.

.

.

Korra had her second chance a few days later while the two were shopping for the week's groceries. She'd done her research this time, and asked someone she trusted for advice before rushing headlong into it, and she felt prepared with the perfect angle. Mako was rummaging through a cart of fruit when she ambled up next to him, carelessly grabbing an apple and tossing in the air as she blatantly eyed him up and down and threw him a confident smirk. Acting toward her as any other stranger would, he ignored her until she she spoke.

"So," Korra drawled as she leaned in close, batting her eyelashes and looking up at him with heavily lidded eyes. Her full lips parted enticingly. "Papaya."

Mako broke character.

"I… what?"

His befuddled expression must have spoken volumes to her, because all he got in response was a frustrated growl as Korra threw her arms up and turned away from him, muttering something that sounded oddly like, "_Damn it, Aang._"

.

.

.

The accidental face full of pie was the last straw for Korra.

She stood facing an apologetic Mako with both hands placed on her hips and the angriest expression she could muster on her face (not that he could see it from behind the copious amounts of whipped cream still dripping onto her clothes and to the ground).

"_Mako!_" she growled, jabbing an angry finger in his chest to punctuate every word. _"You'd better believe you're going to clean this mess up."_

Mako held his hands up in surrender. "Korra, I swear I wasn't-"

But before he could finish his sentence, she'd grabbed him by his collar and dragged him to their bed, shoving him unceremoniously down on it and then climbing onto him, firmly planting herself on his lap.

"_And you can start by licking this the fuck off me while you're ripping my clothes off. Is that clear?"_

Mako looked up quickly into her flashing eyes for one shocked moment, then smirked. His hands came up around her waist to grip tight before he yanked her down and they fell onto the sheets together, cream flying everywhere.

"Crystal."


	5. I Don't Care If You're the Avatar or Not

Prompt #3 - I Don't Care If You're the Avatar or Not from 100makorrathemes on tumblr.

Word Count: 363

A/N: This one is a lot quicker, just did it to keep myself writing this week as I might be getting busier later on. I figured most people would do something romantic with this prompt, so I thought I'd give it a bit of a humorous twist with what seems to be a pretty universal dispute! Leave a comment in the review box, lovelies!

* * *

><p>"<em>I don't care if you're the Avatar or not!"<em> Mako yelled angrily, hands wildly gesturing in frustration as he glared down at an equally riled up Korra.

They were attracting way too much attention in front of Narook's Diner, where they had just finished their lunch date; a small crowd of open-mouthed onlookers had slowly formed around the young Avatar and her boyfriend as they had it out in the middle of the street, Mako's take-out container thrown forgotten on the ground and Naga half saddled and whining with worry where she stood watching from the side.

Sure, Mako thought in passing, historically, their arguments had a tendency of taking a… volatile - turn. But this dispute was just on a different level. He couldn't _believe_ Korra right now.

"But Mako-"

"There's _no way_ I could support this, Korra! Some rules aren't meant to be broken."

"Okay, there's really no reason to-"

"You think you can just play _God?"_

"_Honestly!_ You're blowing this way out of proportion," Korra managed to get out as Mako scoffed.

"It's just that I can't stand it when it gets all soggy," she continued aggravatedly.

"But your method is just completely illogical!"

"Wha- is it so wrong to want crispy cereal?"

Mako ran a hand through his hair, struggling to make her understand. "It's not about crispy or soggy, Korra. The point is that the milk _always_ goes first. How could you even- arghh!"

Korra just stared up at him for a moment in bafflement before sputtering, _"Does this even matter?!"_

Mako threw his hands up.

"_Of course it matters, who puts the milk in before the cereal?"_

"_I do! And if you have such a big problem with it you can walk back to the island!" _Korra shouted, turning to grab Naga's reins and yank her around toward the docks, leaving Mako to stare after her dumbfounded as the crowd around him slowly began to disperse, muttering excitedly to themselves.

Mako was only brought back to the moment by a sympathetic hand on his shoulder making him turn away from Korra's retreating form.

"Women." the older man said with a shake of his head.

Mako could only agree.


	6. Seeing Red

Prompt #29 - Seeing Red from 100makorrathemes on tumblr.

Word Count: 425

A/N: Angst, because I don't think I've done that yet for this challenge. Any critiques?

* * *

><p>He'd thought she was fine before he saw all the blood.<p>

"Oh spirits, oh-" Mako choked on his words as his breath caught. His limbs felt frozen in place where he stood, and he could suddenly hear with clarity every beat of his heart in his ears, pounding against his brain and ticking the seconds by as the world slowed around him and faded to black, Korra at the center of the pool of red.

There was so much blood.

If she hadn't abruptly shuddered, he didn't know how much longer he would have stood there, just staring. But the slight motion spurred him into action, stumbling foot over foot until he collapsed by her side, pants immediately soaking in the red, hands fluttering over her body as they looked for somewhere to rest. There were so many cuts, he couldn't tell where to start.

"Ko- Korra, can you- spirits, _Bolin!_" he yelled in a hoarse voice over his shoulder, yanking his scarf off and pressing it down on her stomach, where most of the blood was flowing freely.

Her eyes were glazed over and staring up at the ceiling, and he tried to get her attention.

"Korra! Stay with me, look at me. Can you - what happened, how-"

Mako could barely get the words out. His mouth was drier than he could ever remember it being, and it felt like there was a band around his chest, squeezing the air out of him and crushing his ribs. He shook her by the shoulders roughly when her eyes began to flutter shut, panic seizing him.

"_Stay with me Korra!"_

He kept shaking until she came to again, grimacing slightly and moaning as she shifted in his arms, but her eyes still wouldn't open and that couldn't be a good sign (could it?), and it was all he could do not to sob because he kept pressing but the blood wasn't stopping and his scarf was a shade of red it had never been before.

And suddenly footsteps were pounding up behind him, alerting him to the others finally arriving, and his surroundings became a flurry of activity as Tenzin cupped her cheek in his hand and Lin began pulling Korra's shirt off and Bolin and Asami knelt next to him, each grabbing tight to an arm as he was pushed out of the way to make room for the healers that surrounded her, glowing water held at the ready and glaring in contrast to the red that looked as though it would never stop flowing.


	7. Rendezvous

**Prompt #37 -** Rendezvous from 100makorrathemes on tumblr.

**Word Count:** 748

**A/N:** Maybe a prequel to "Seeing Red?" Yeesh, it's been a while since I've updated. (And for anyone who follows Kindred Spirits… I'm just so sorry right now. I promise I am hanging my head in shame.)

* * *

><p>They had developed, over the years, an unspoken agreement on where to meet after things took a south turn during battles.<p>

Their apartment was located near the Republic City docks, overlooking Yue Bay (Korra had always lived near the ocean, and besides, they visited Air Temple Island so often there was no point in being any farther away). It was therefore too out of the way for a hasty rendezvous in the midst of the hecticness that accompanied their jobs, and they needed somewhere private to regroup at a moment's notice - make sure the other was okay.

Mako was the one who'd found the building. It was abandoned, in a seedier part of town he'd been more familiar with back during his days living on the streets, but still patrolled through during his shifts. It had housed squatters for longer than he could remember. He had pulled Korra by the hand straight through the front door one afternoon after a lunch date to escape a pursuing troupe of news reporters. They had laughed and stumbled over the dusty furniture and broken tables, hushing each other along the way, and crouched beneath a windowsill, hands clasped tight, listening closely as the clicks of cameras and quick footsteps ran right past their hiding spot.

Mako had glanced at Korra. The sunlight streaming through the window landed right on her as they waited, illuminating her eyes and making the blue dazzle as she grinned up at him, windswept hair a glowing halo around her face. He'd been intoxicated by the moment, and by her, leaning in close to capture her lips between his.

The very next week, a call from Korra had come in on his radio after a skirmish downtown, asking him to meet her urgently. She'd gone before he could ask where to go, but he'd gotten on his motorcycle anyway, revving it up and heading instinctually to their building. She was waiting there for him.

It was a habit, since then, for the two of them to use that location as a kind of rendezvous point - a dead drop of sorts. Some days Korra would stop by after a long meeting with Raiko, and find a bag of take-out still steaming on the table where Mako had left it for her. Other days Mako would walk in on Korra cat-napping on one of the couches, her quiet snores filling the high-ceilinged room as Mako finished his paperwork in peace.

Their system had worked perfectly. Mako could always depend on Korra to be there when he needed her, and she him.

This time, though, Korra was late.

Mako stood fidgeting, peering around at the dark corners of the dilapidated interior and crinkling his nose at the smell of fresh urine and cigarettes (he swore they had to clean this place more often than their _actual_ apartment), and checking his watch every few minutes. He'd never been here at night, but the darkness seemed to throw odd shadows around the usually sunlit room, making it look unfamiliar.

A breeze blew in through an open window, and Mako shivered, moving to shut it and peer out across the road. A few people were walking briskly down the street, jackets buttoned and arms crossed against the cold. The nights had been getting colder, and he'd just been complaining to Korra about his lack of scarves now that he'd given his father's to his grandmother. She'd just laughed.

He waited.

A trickle of unease went down his spine.

He checked his watch again. He'd been waiting almost thirty minutes, and still not a sign of her. Usually by now, he'd at least be able to see her familiar figure hurrying down the sidewalk towards the building, but the street had long since cleared-out.

He was alone.

It only took a moment of consideration, but the feeling of unease remained, and in a snap moment he was pulling his walkie-talkie out of his pocket and dialing in to a familiar frequency with frozen fingers.

"Beifong? Come in, this is Mako."

A tense moment of static interference during which he wondered if she even had her receiver on this late at night (she didn't seem the sort to take nights off), and then, "Mako. This better be good, I'm in the middle of something important."

Mako took a deep breath, shoving his other hand deep into his pocket to grab his bike keys and stepping resolutely towards the door.

"It's Korra. I think something's wrong."


	8. First Sight

Prompt: Theme #86 - First Sight

Word Count - 1663

A/N - AU where Korra and Mako meet as young children - 10/11 years old respectively. Is this my longest chapter yet? Also, any votes on which prompt I should do next? I've got a long flight to look forward to next week and nothing but this to occupy my time!

* * *

><p>She'd only seen him because his arm was elbow deep in a cart full of peanuts with the nonchalant air of someone who had no intention of paying for them. The owner of said peanut cart was currently in deep conversation with one of her guards, and remained blissfully unaware of the daylight robbery taking place just behind him.<p>

If his torn and grungy clothes were not obvious enough of his condition, the sunken cheeks and hardened eyes that seemed much too old for his face indicated that his parents were not around anymore. Probably hadn't been for a while.

Korra had only ever heard about orphans from her masters, usually in passing conversations accompanied with pitying shakes of their heads and mutterings about the necessity of social reforms. Master Ming had warned her not to interact with them too much before she embarked on her first short trip to Republic City, but she had never actually seen firsthand the type of poverty present in the city. The stark contrast between the ragged boy who stood less than five feet from her amongst the throngs of the street market, and Korra in her hand embroidered silk dress and surrounded by her own security guard, was almost surreal.

"- and we're going to be headed soon to Memorial Island. We passed it on our way to the docks but didn't have time to stop. If you could just point out the shortest route…" the guard was saying to the vendor, glancing briefly toward Korra, who was shuffling closer and closer to the orphan boy.

"Excuse me," she called, reaching an arm out to grab hold of the dirty sleeve, but at her words he started in fright, dropping a few peanuts in his haste to stuff his hands deep into his pockets before glaring at her with gold eyes.

"What?" he snapped, looking her up and down, and Korra was suddenly and inexplicably embarrassed of her appearance as he took it in with a critical eye. She pulled her hand back slowly and folded her arms across her chest, covering up the detailed gold work inlaid on the fabric.

"Oh, I… I just…" she drifted off, and the boy waited a moment more in irritation before turning and slipping back into the crowd.

It only took a second for Korra to decide, but with a quick glance back at her guards (who weren't looking her way anyway), she had darted after him, weaving in and out of the taller patrons of the market and keeping the jet black head of hair just within her sight. She had to admire him for being quick on his feet - it was almost impossible to walk through the crowd without running headlong into someone, and Korra was constantly tripping on her skirt. He took her through a series of turns, avoiding the occasional policemen patrolling the area with ease and dodging through carts and vendors here and there, implying that he'd done this many times before; it wasn't until a few streets later when he slowed to a stroll that Korra finally took her eyes off him and looked around at her surroundings.

The crowd had thinned from its previous congested flow into a few local passerby who didn't glance at her twice as they walked by, and the evenly paved road of the market had transitioned into a cobblestone street that her feet _pat-patted_ over quietly as she trailed the young orphan, who still hadn't noticed her. They were now passing apartment complexes instead of street stalls, and Korra could see lines of laundry hanging across buildings high above, and hear muffled radio music floating through open windows.

In another few blocks the streets had turned grungier and the people shadier, when the boy turned a sudden left into an alleyway, and Korra slowed her steps, haltingly moving forward to peer around the corner of the building.

It took her a moment to distinguish the shapes moving in the shadows cast by the tall buildings surrounding them, but she could finally make out the figures of two young boys, one kneeling on the ground - the boy she had been following - and another sitting in front of him. The second boy was younger, but he wore the same patched and worn clothes as the other (with the exception of a pristinely red scarf wrapped around his neck) and looked just as tired, and Korra watched them interact with wide eyes, wondering what had happened to them to bring them to that alley, looking so much older than they were and resorting to theft to eat.

They were speaking to each other in soft voices now, and she leaned in close to catch their words as the younger boy moved to unwind his scarf, but the slight movement caught his attention immediately and his eyes locked onto hers.

Korra froze, awaiting the same cold glare that his older friend - or brother? - had given her in the market, but it never came. The boy's green eyes crinkled as he smiled at her, nudging the other boy excitedly with his elbow before jumping to his feet and approaching her.

"Mako! You didn't tell me you found a friend?" he exclaimed, and the boy from the market - Mako, apparently - stared at her in surprise before his face settled into a neutral expression.

"I'm Bolin!" he said eagerly, and Korra managed a small smile in return as she shook his hand. He had a warm presence that made her feel comfortable.

"Wow, your dress is beautiful! You don't look like you're from around here, is this your first time in the city? You know, my brother and I know the area pretty well, if you need help getting anywhere, we would be happy to-"

"Bo! That's enough. She was just leaving, anyway." Mako directed these last words pointedly at Korra (who glared back at him) as he hastened to shuffle Bolin back into the alley.

"Aww, Makoooo!" Bolin whined, grasping the front of Mako's shirt dramatically. "I was just being nice. Besides," and here Bolin pulled Mako's ear to his mouth to whisper conspiratorially, "she's _pretty._"

Korra blushed.

Mako groaned.

"Bo!"

"Okay, okay, fine. Here take your scarf back, I'm gonna get started on the peanuts." Bolin pulled the scarf off and handed it back to Mako, who immediately wound it around his neck, burying his nose into the fabric as he nudged Bolin back again.

"Hey, it was nice meeting you… uh, what was your name?" Bolin asked good-naturedly as he backtracked down the alley.

Korra hesitated for just a second before waving back at him.

"Korra," she answered. "My name is Korra."

The grin she got in return was the biggest she'd seen yet.

"Well, thanks for dropping by." Mako interjected stiffly, and Korra wondered in passing if the frown was a permanent feature on his face.

His demeanor indicated that she leave immediately, but she stalled, not wanting to go back to the market until she finished what she had followed this Mako boy to do.

"I…I wanted to give you something." Korra said awkwardly, a little uncomfortable now that Bolin was gone.

But before she could move her hand to her coin purse Mako had raised a hand for her to stop.

"We don't need any of your money, if that's what you want to give." he said stonily. "We may not have much, but we're not beggars. I can take care of myself and my brother just fine."

Korra paused in surprise, then smiled.

"I know," she promised. "I'm giving you something else." And reaching into her purse, Korra pulled out a single smooth ceramic tile, ivory in color with an elegantly drawn lotus placed right in center.

She had only received the tile weeks before from Master Katara before she had left for her trip.

"_Here, Korra." _Katara had said, placing the tile in Korra's hand and folding her fingers carefully over it. _"If you should ever find yourself in trouble, or in need of help, just show this tile to an elder and you will receive assistance. Consider it a good luck charm,"_ she added with a wink,_ "to keep you safe on your journeys."_ Korra had kept the tile on her at all times since her departure, cherishing the present from her role model and the feeling of safety it provided her. She knew what a great gift the tile was - after all, the White Lotus Society was meant to be a _secret_ organization, and to be entrusted with her own tile was a great honor, one that she could appreciate at even this young age.

She handed the tile to Mako now, who looked at it blankly, turning it over in his hands and running his finger gently over its surface.

"What… what is it?" he asked in confusion, looking up at her.

"It's a good luck charm." she said simply, then hastened to add at his deadpan look, "Don't lose it! Or give it away. It's… more important than you know. And it's all I can give you right now."

Korra pulled her hand back and waited with bated breath as Mako stared at first the tile, then at her. She didn't know what he was looking for as he stared searchingly into her eyes, but whatever it was he must have found it because in a second something in his eyes softened and he nodded, closing his fingers protectively around the tile.

"I won't." he said.

Korra took a deep breath.

"Okay." she replied, and turned to go.

She hadn't made it more than a couple steps down the alley before Mako asked, "Can I ask why?"

Korra paused, and looked over her shoulder, a crooked grin pulling on her lips as she considered him.

"You seem like you'll be needing that luck more than me," she stated.

And with a swish of her skirt she had turned onto the street and gone.


End file.
